MecoExpo Study Protocol

The MecoExpo project seeks to evaluate the in utero exposure of newborns in the Picardie region to commonly used pesticides. These pesticides were selected in a pilot study (the Mecopic study) on the basis of their toxicity (effects on foetal development, endocrine perturbation, neurological toxicity and carcinogenicity) and a certain number of indicators of pesticide use and the presence of pesticide in the environment in Picardie.

These substances (or their metabolites) will be measured in the each newborn's meconium (the first faeces after birth) and each newborn's mother's hair in the Picardie region during the study period. The mother's exposure will also be assessed using a retrospective questionnaire (filled out within a few days of the delivery).

Thus, the MecoExpo project will enable the investigators to:

1. evaluate the relationships between foetal exposure (via the meconium), maternal exposure (via the hair and the questionnaire) and clinical parameters measured at birth (term, length, weight, etc.). 2. map pesticide exposure across the Picardie region. 3. create a meconium bank in Picardie (the first ever meconium bank in France).

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Key information

Conditions

Infant, Newborn

Age range

Up to 2 day

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

CH Abbeville, Abbeville, France

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

All newborns in Picardie will be eligible. Good command of the French language by a least one of the two people with responsibility for the child will be required for filling out the questionnaire.
The mother's place of residence must have been in Picardie during the last two trimesters of pregnancy.

Exclusion criteria

Newborns with foetal distress

Treatment and study plan

meconium

Other

The meconium will be sampled in the first 2 days of life

Primary outcomes

fœtal vs mother exposure - term

Time frame: Day 2

evaluate the relationships between foetal exposure (via the meconium), maternal exposure (via the hair and the questionnaire) and term at birth
fœtal vs mother exposure - length

Time frame: Day 2

evaluate the relationships between foetal exposure (via the meconium), maternal exposure (via the hair and the questionnaire) and length at birth
fœtal vs mother exposure - weight

Time frame: Day 2

evaluate the relationships between foetal exposure (via the meconium), maternal exposure (via the hair and the questionnaire) and weight at birth

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Amiens

Other

Registry information

Acronym: MecoExpo

Important dates

Study start: 2011
Primary completion: 2015
Study completion: 2015
First posted: Sep 14, 2016
Registry last updated: Sep 19, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed